AMERICAN AVOCET Recurvirostra americana

A species well known to most visitors to the USA, the top bird is in breeding plumage;
the head and neck turn grey in winter, as in the right hand shot. These particular birds were in
streams in California, seeming to be less aggresive than their counterparts in Europe,
they are often seen with other species such as Stilts. There are only
four Avocet species worldwide but they are found on every continent (except Antarctica).